So…hi. Surprise, I'm not dead! I know it's been three years since I touched this story last and I cannot express how apologetic I am over that. I took a three year hiatus from writing and briefly marked this story as discontinued because I had lost my passion for both writing and the fandom itself. However, I've been slowly getting back into BioShock lately, and I started working on this next chapter a couple of months ago so I can go ahead and move towards finishing this story! I don't know if anyone is still waiting for an update on this, but if you are, thank you so much, it means the world that anyone is enjoying what I put out. Thanks for sticking by this story. I am going to do my best NOT to wait three more years to update. I tried to make this chapter extra long to make up for the wait. Hope you enjoy!
Side note: I didn't manage to fit in an explanation in this chapter for the Mount Elbrus thing and I don't think I will be able to for the next one either since it's not really important, but I did have fun coming up with it so I wanted to share. The Fontaine level of BioShock 1 takes place, according to the wiki, at a place that is supposedly the highest point in Rapture and also happens to be located in Point Prometheus. I thought I would have a bit of fun with it and name the place Elbrus Tower as a homage to the original Greek myth of Prometheus–Mount Elbrus is supposedly the mountain Prometheus was chained to, for those of you (most I'm sure) that know the myth, and it's supposed to be one of the tallest mountains in the mountain range. Everything else in Rapture is named after a Greek motif, so I figured it would make sense. Thanks to everyone who read! I'm hoping I'll have time to finish another chapter before the end of November.
Almost there. Almost there.
Just two more flights…
You can do this. Just a little farther.
When Jack had suggested they trek to the top floor of Olympus Heights in search of a stronger radio signal, he hadn't realized what he was getting himself into. Eight floors and sixteen flights of stairs–and at the top, a radio signal and a way out of this shithole. This had better be worth it.
He doesn't really care about the climb itself–he had been created with high physical endurance in mind after all, and it's not like he hasn't survived far worse–but he still finds himself desperately wishing that whoever built this place had the common fucking decency to install an elevator too. Sure, there's Fontaine's elevator, but it's Fontaine's, and the only place it goes is his penthouse, which is not a place that Jack wishes to ever visit again, so that isn't an option. El doesn't seem to care either way, effortlessly jumping across the gaps in the stairways that time and neglect have created. He's a little jealous. On the other hand, El isn't carrying a seven year old on her hip. A very clingy seven year old, who keeps tugging on his vest like that's going to make him go any faster.
Sally has it out for him. He just knows it. She seems determined to make Jack's life as miserable as possible while she still has the chance. What's worse, he doesn't think she's even doing it on purpose. She's just like that, and he once again finds himself wishing that he wasn't so damn fond of the brat. The girl had taken one look at the first set of stairs and refused to take another step unless Jack carried her up. He had considered arguing with her, but had quickly decided that it wasn't worth it. She wouldn't give up until she won, and Jack refused to let that happen, so they would be at a standstill until one of them got fed up and left or El broke them apart. The time they wasted going back and forth would only be more time they spent in this fucking place, so with a sigh of defeat Jack had hoisted her on his hip and started up the stairs, very pointedly ignoring her victory whoop.
One more flight…
A sudden, harsh tug on his arm has him stumbling backwards into El, nearly dropping Sally in the process.
"Hey!" Sally whines, shoving his shoulder in protest. Jack ignores her, whirling around and giving the splicer an incredulous look.
"What the hell was that for?"
"You're welcome," she deadpans, rolling her eyes in an uncharacteristic display of sarcasm. She points to the stairs ahead. Jack turns to look and immediately feels embarrassed. The sixteenth flight of stairs is gone, leaving only empty air in its wake, and he had been about to step right into it. He should have noticed that. Why didn't he? He had been lost in his head again–shit.
"Oh," he says instead.
"What now?" she asks, gesturing to the radio hanging on his hip. "Will it still work?"
Jack takes a moment to think. He sets Sally down gently, away from the staircase and grabs his radio, inspecting it carefully before switching it on.
"Probably. I don't see how we can get to the eighth floor with the staircase gone. That gap looks too big to jump across, and I'm not risking it. We should be close enough anyway—hopefully the signal is strong enough." He messes with the radio as he talks, fiddling with the various dials and switches on the device to get it working the way he needs it to. A long whine of static follows his last turn of a dial, and he holds the radio up in the air to get a clearer signal.
"What's he doing?" Sally half-whisper to El.
"I'm trying to find a signal. I remember which channel Tenenbaum used to communicate with me before, so with any luck, we can still reach her there. I don't know if she'll want to talk to me, but we have to try. I just need a signal…come on…"
The light on the front of the radio suddenly lights up, a soft yellow glow revealing that it's caught a signal. Finally.
Now…what should he say? Honesty would be the best policy. Best to make it quick, too–he doesn't want her shutting the radio off before he's had a chance to explain himself. He allows his mind to wander for a moment, debating how he should start. Even if she is still down here, he doesn't expect Tenenbaum will be pleased to hear from him again. Jack can't say he blames her, not after…well. He doesn't need to think about that right now.
There are a hundred ways this could go wrong. Maybe she isn't down here, and they've wasted their time and efforts. Maybe she is, but she doesn't get their signal in time, and they accidentally leave her to die. What if she does receive it, but decides Jack can't be trusted? What if she's got her own plan of escape, and him reaching out now is just making him look foolish by assuming she can't take care of herself? What if–no. No, no. No use in worrying–better safe than sorry. He forces himself to relax, thinking once again about what he wants to say. Involuntarily, his mind wanders back to the audio diary.
What was it she had said? It had been so long since he'd thought about it. He'd always pushed it to the back of his mind, resolving to think about it later, but of course he never had.
"I have trusted this man with our lives, believing he had a heart..that he would not dare to hurt a child…I was a fool. I played a part in his creation…I helped program his mind to be that of a cold-blooded killer, and I expected something different? I did all of this...to an innocent, who did not ask to be brought into this world and used like the tool he was shaped to be. My hands will never be free of blood…"
My hands will never be free of blood.
Something they had in common, he thinks bitterly, his face twisting at the memory of the diary's parting words come to him then, sad and remorseful…yet tinged with a kind of faint hope. For him? He struggles to remember them, closing his eyes to concentrate.
"I have made this man to be like me–a monster. But perhaps he feels as I used to–dedication to success and determined to crush anyone who stands in his way. Perhaps he too will find redemption–perhaps, unlike me, he will come to deserve it."
Well. He doesn't know about that. What could she have possibly meant by that? He and Tenenbaum were nothing alike, as far as he could tell. Besides, how could he ever hope to gain redemption if after all she's done to right her wrongs, she still doesn't think she deserves it? Either way, he's not looking for redemption–just a chance to make things right. He knows he's a shit person, and he knows there's no going back from what he's done. He's not going to pretend any differently. But if Tenenbaum truly means it–if she truly is willing to give him a second chance? Jack is not going to disappoint her again.
He takes a deep breath, and with only a moment's hesitation, presses the TALK button.
"Dr. Tenenbaum? This is Jack. I know you're more than likely going to ignore this, and I wouldn't blame you for that, but please just hear me out. I know we weren't on the best of terms the last time we spoke. I know there was a reason why you did what you did, and I understand. I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear from right now, but if you're hearing this at all, that means you're probably stuck down here the same as I am. In that case…I want to help. I'm sure you're wondering why."
Jack pauses, thinking over his next words carefully. He can't afford to screw this up, and in order for this to work she needs to know that he means it–or, at least, is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. That's all he needs. Once he knows that she's at least okay, then he can worry about convincing her of his intentions.
"I owe you my life, Tenenbaum. After Fontaine left me for dead, it would have been so easy to leave me there. You know I wouldn't have come back–all the nearby Vita-Chambers had been turned off. You could have easily left me to die in that damn office, and it would have been well-deserved. I wouldn't have blamed you in the slightest. But you didn't. Instead, you went out of your way to save me, you removed Fontaine's influence over me, and without you I wouldn't have been able to stop him in time. I know that's the real reason you did it, but that doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I owe you a debt, and I'm going to repay it. I know I can't make up for what I've done–I know there's no redemption for me, and I'm not looking for it. All I'm asking is that you give me a chance to make some things right. I'd like to start by getting you and your girls out of here."
Jack takes another moment to think about how he wants to continue. As he does, he turns to look at El and Sally, who have been uncharacteristically quiet during all of this. Neither of them are paying attention to him–in fact, they seem to be quietly laughing about something, but he can't make out what they're saying. He watches them for a few more moments, feeling that annoying fondness rise in his chest before turning his attention back to the radio.
"I think I've found a way out–a private bathysphere that will take us to the surface. It's located in Market Street, and it used to be Sander Cohen's, but I've got the genetic key to make it work so that shouldn't be an issue. I've got all the kinks worked out. All I need now is to reach the damn thing. If you're still down here and looking for a way out, this might be your best bet. It's the only thing I've got to offer. I'm in Olympus Heights now–I'm going to take the bathysphere from Arcadia to get to Fort Frolic to see if the Rapture Metro there can take me to Market Street. I can't use the Olympus Heights metro because most of the location buttons are broken, including the one I need. I'm going to have to take the long way around, which means I'll be down here for a bit longer. If you've received this message, and if you need the help, meet me there or else get in contact with me through this channel. I know you don't have any reason to trust me, and I can't say I blame you, but…please at least trust that I want to do right by you. For once. You know that I owe you. And…I'm sorry."
He's not sure those parting words are particularly compelling, but he doesn't know what else to say, so he leaves it at that. He doesn't expect a response, so when he doesn't get one after a few minutes of waiting, he accepts defeat and clips the radio back onto his belt. After a moment of hesitation, he rejoins El and Sally, who are eagerly awaiting an update.
"Are you done already?" Sally jumps back in surprise as he rests his hand on her head, swatting it away. "Hey!"
"Is she here?" El looks behind him, as if expecting the woman to just appear in front of them.
"I don't know. If she is, she didn't respond, but..." Briefly, he tells them about what he'd told Tenenbaum, although without the pleading and the rationalizations. "I also told her about the broken bathysphere and the shortcut we're going to have to take. I figure we can head to Arcadia to get to Fort Frolic, and from there the bathyspheres should take us to Market Street. After that…well, we'll see. It shouldn't take that long. Most of these places are pretty straightforward from one station to another. I mean, we've been stuck down here this long. What's another hour or two, right?"
"As long as it gets us closer to the surface," El agrees, although she doesn't look pleased. Jack doesn't blame her.
He nods, walking back to the staircase and motioning for the two of them to follow. "Well, we're not going to get anywhere by standing around and complaining. Come on, let's get this over with."
It's a long moment before Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum looks up from the radio in her hands, staring helplessly out of the office's only window. She ignores how the girls behind her have fallen silent, having sensed something amiss with their guardian. She doesn't know what to tell them. She doesn't know how to even begin to process this.
She looks around the office, lost in thought, and takes in its haggard appearance once more, frowning. Dr. Julie Langford's office had not been built with comfort in mind. The only reason she'd thought of coming here was that she remembered watching Jack come through the place, and subsequently the ample security measures the botanist had put into place to ensure her work would continue uninterrupted. It is perfect for their purposes.
The space isn't the largest, but it's the best that they can do for now, and, she will admit, it used to be much worse. Although the room is small, it had easily been big enough for the overgrown vines and various flora that had overtaken the area in its owner's absence. When they had first arrived, it had taken hours to cut back the vines inching across the wooden floors, the walls, and the large window overlooking the park. An overturned bookcase had made the space even more crowded, spilling books everywhere and blocking the far left corner of the office until they had cleared it away. A table had been set up by the wall safe, set with scientific equipment such as beakers and sample dishes, but someone (or something) had come along and broken it in half and left in its place a mess of sharp glass and splinters. Once cleared, it had been replaced with the table that used to stand in the middle of the room. That one had been empty, although she suspects that whatever contents it may have held were taken long ago by thieving splicers. She just hopes the items weren't important. Now, the space is populated with toys, chalk drawings, and little girls, all wondering how they will get home and entertaining themselves as best they can. She wishes she had the right words for them.
Tenenbaum turns back to the window, glancing at her reflection and noting her matted curls and the dark circles under her eyes. She looks like she hasn't eaten or slept in days–she probably hasn't. She gazes past her reflection and sees that the girls have gone back to playing amongst themselves. She sighs in relief. She doesn't know how to answer their questions right now, and she is tired of pretending she knows what the next hour brings. Ever since they fled Olympus Heights, she cannot shake the feeling that they are moments away from disaster. She didn't know where Jack had gone, and at the time she hadn't known if Fontaine was still out there, waiting for Tenenbaum to let her guard down. She couldn't risk that possibility. They had been forced to leave their former sanctuary quickly, leaving almost everything behind.
At the time, she thought she had made the right choice. When they'd reached Arcadia, Tenenbaum had attempted to reach out to Jack, letting him know that she and the children were safe and suggesting that they meet up, but she had never received an answer. She had feared the worst. Not wanting to put her life and the lives of her girls in danger for a dead man, she had stayed put. She had assumed that if Jack was still out there, he would contact her with news and a plan, and they would go from there. If not, surely Fontaine would have found them by now, or contacted them in some way. Until now, she had heard nothing.
Hearing from Jack had been a shock, then an immense relief—but that relief had quickly turned into confusion and worry. From what he had said on the radio, Jack seems to have a very different perspective on what had happened than she does. He had mentioned something about what she had done—what could he have meant?
I know we weren't on the best of terms the last time we spoke. I know there was a reason why you did what you did.
What had she done? Tenenbaum thinks back to the last time they had spoken. How long ago had that been? She closes her eyes in concentration, blocking out the sounds of the children behind her. Focus. Jack had been about to board the elevator to Elbrus Tower. Elbrus Tower, the highest point in Rapture, was located at the far end of Point Prometheus. If Tenenbaum recalls correctly, the name had been taken from the same ancient Greek legend that gave Point Prometheus its name. Jack had chased Fontaine there, and just before he'd went up the tower Tenenbaum had stopped him. She had asked him to please be careful, and to make certain he was ready before what was sure to be a tough fight. He had responded with reassurances and promises—he would make it quick, and he would make sure that Fontaine wouldn't come after them again.
I'll radio you as soon as he's dealt with, and I'll come back to the sanctuary. We'll be out of here before the next hour is up.
Well, the next hour had come and gone, and Jack was nowhere to be found. Tenenbaum had tried radioing him, checking what few security cameras she still had access to, and even sent a few of the girls up to check if he was still in the tower. The girls came back empty-handed—when prompted, they said that the place was empty. Jack wasn't there, then–but neither was Fontaine. At first, she had assumed Jack was dead, and that her former employer was coming after her and the girls. She had packed up the sanctuary in a hurry, and moved here while bracing for the inevitable. Since then, however, it's been quiet, and with Jack's radio message confirming Fontaine's demise, Tenenbaum already feels more at ease. As for Jack, despite the less than ideal situation, she is glad to know he is alive and safe. Now she just has to get to him. She'll worry about the implications of his message later. Right now, she has work to do.
Tenenbaum turns back to the radio, scowling as she fiddles with the radio…if only she could get a signal…
Scheiße. Still no luck. He had been able to reach her–why could she not do the same? Very frustrating. There must be another way. There has to be. She sets the radio down again, thinking hard about her options. Jack is their only chance of escape. He has the means, apparently, and he's actually willing to help, and she's seen what he can do when he sets his mind to something. The man is nothing if not fiercely stubborn, and if he's on their side she's sure they will succeed. But if she can't reach him…
Jack had mentioned that he was on his way to Arcadia, then Fort Frolic, and then…Market Street? Something about a broken bathysphere menu, and needing to take a detour. Well, she's in Arcadia now. Surely there is something that can be done. She wishes the PA system worked–some splicer, long before them, had smashed it to pieces, rendering it unusable. Very inconvenient. Perhaps…perhaps it might be possible for Tenenbaum to intercept them at the metro station. Not when they arrive–that would be far too dangerous a trek to make. They would dock on the other side of Arcadia, and she couldn't leave her girls for that long. But in order to leave, they would have to come to the metro station that is just outside of Dr. Langford's lab. She could meet them then…yes, that might work! She could explain the situation to Jack and together they could work out a plan. They would be on the surface by the end of the day if nothing went wrong. Although, she realizes with dismay, there's no telling when he might be here. It may have already happened, and she might have just missed her chance without realizing. She doesn't dare try and catch up with him in that case. Too risky for herself and the girls. But Jack had sent that message not too long ago. It's likely he's on his way now–if she could just reach him in time…
"Leta?" she calls to one of the older girls as she reaches underneath her seat.
A black-haired young girl of about ten stands up abruptly, accidentally knocking over the house of cards she had been building with another girl–Masha, if she recalled the name correctly. "Yes, Mama Tenenbaum?"
"I need your help with something, please. Would you step outside with me for just a moment?"
"Okay." Her eyes dart nervously from Tenenbaum to her friend. Masha says nothing, only shrugs and begins to pick up the cards from where they've fallen.
Some of the other girls are staring as Tenenbaum leads Leta to just outside the office. None of them make an attempt to follow, thankfully, so the geneticist makes quick work of her request before they get too curious. As she double checks to make sure the door is closed, she pulls from her pocket a pistol and presents it to the startled young girl.
"Leta, you know how to fire a gun, yes?"
"...Yeah, I think so? I'm not very good, but I remember what you taught me and the other older girls." After a moment of hesitation, she gingerly takes the gun, holding it awkwardly in her hands.
"Sehr gut. Do you also remember why I taught you this?"
"In case…in case we needed to defend ourselves and the others, when you weren't there." Realization dawns in her eyes as she looks from the pistol to Tenenbaum. "Wait. You're not leaving us, are you?"
"Vergib mir, mein Kind. I must, but only for a little while. Do you remember the man I brought into the sanctuary, not so long ago? He is still alive, and he wants to help us. We cannot leave this place without him. I must go and find him, before it is too late. I am trusting you with protecting your sisters, in case of an emergency. I should not be long, and should splicers attack the security outside should be enough of a deterrent, but…" She nods to the pistol in the child's hand. She knows fully well that under ordinary circumstances, it would be incredibly irresponsible and dangerous to entrust a child with such a weapon…but these are no ordinary circumstances, and these girls are no ordinary children.
Leta nods after a moment's hesitation. Thankfully she understands the gravity of the situation, and doesn't waste time on questions. "Okay. What should I tell the other girls?"
"The truth. Tell them I will be back as soon as I can. I will not go far."
Tenenbaum stays just long enough to watch Leta go back inside, making sure that she's locked the door behind her before she turns and makes her way down the steps leading into the main laboratory.
Fucking Spider Splicers. Goddamnit–ow…
An ambush had been the last thing they'd expected upon their arrival to Arcadia. Sure, he had anticipated trouble—but not that much, and not so soon. They had barely left the metro station when those damn splicers had gotten the jump on him and tore into his left arm. The whole fight didn't last too long thankfully—with El's help they had been able to finish the fight almost as quickly as it had started. That still left Jack with a sizable wound, though, so they'd been forced to stop to deal with it. He hisses in pain as the needle pierces his skin again. He's long become used to the constant agony of staying alive in Rapture, so the pain itself doesn't really bother him. He's survived this long through pure spite alone, but that doesn't make it any less irritating to deal with. He's so sick of this bullshit. Fucking splicers, fucking Rapture, fucking seawater everywhere and the fucking smell. Ugh, it makes him ill. He's going to be so pissed if he manages to make it out of here only to die from some stupid disease he contracted from down here.
Hell, they'd be on their way to the bathysphere right now if it wasn't for his newfound moral conscience. Oh, Tenenbaum had better be down here. They'd better be on that fucking bathysphere within the next few hours, or else–
Or else he has no idea. What the fuck is he supposed to do if everything goes wrong? They're so close…but life, and Rapture in particular, has this brilliant way of kicking him when he's down. Maybe he deserves it. No, he definitely does. But Tenbaum doesn't, and he owes it to her to at least try, and he shouldn't be acting like it's some great inconvenience to him to help the woman who saved his life when she shouldn't have. He's been over that problem a million times in his head. El and Sally deserve better too.
As the needle slowly makes its way up his arm, he allows his mind to wander for the first time in a while. He thinks about them. He still doesn't want to admit to the growing bond he has with the Little Sister in his care–but with the end so close in sight, he has to face the truth now. There's definitely something there. She's been practically glued to his hip since they met, and he can't really deny anymore those silent but growing feelings of attachment to her as well, despite his best efforts. She trusts him—trusts him to get her out, and trusts him to protect her at all costs. He can't honestly remember a time where the kid ever truly doubted that he would keep her safe, or doubted his many promises of freedom and a life after all of this. She'd liked him almost immediately, and while he'd definitely taken to her much slower, he'd gotten there eventually. Great. That's going to make the end of this that much harder for the both of them. He remembers a time when he found the girl annoying, her curiosity and unexpected intelligence a sharp contrast to his sarcasm and cynicism. When had that changed?
Well, it's your own fucking fault. I told you not to get attached. It never ends well.
…Oh, shut up.
How? What the fuck was he supposed to do to prevent this? Not save her back in Fontaine's department store? Be an even bigger asshole? Leave her to fend for herself? She's just a kid. A scared, brainwashed, almost invincible seven year old, who's trusting him, of all people, to get her out of the only life she remembers. She wouldn't have lasted a day in this nightmare without someone to protect her. Hell, he's barely surviving as it is. He had no choice. Really.
Right?
Could any of this have been avoided? Not him coming here, that's for damn sure–and he can't tell whether or not he's grateful for that. On the one hand, it had been completely out of his control. He wouldn't have to spend countless sleepless nights agonizing over what he could have done differently to avoid coming here at all. Which is good, because he has plenty of other things to agonize over. Like everything else that had happened since he first set foot in Hell.
He finishes stitching up his arm, and he sets the needle down, inspecting his handiwork. Not the cleanest, but it'll do just fine, although the scar it's going to leave is not going to be pretty. Who knows, though. Maybe he'll bite the dust just one more time before getting out of here, and expose without the scars to prove he had ever been here in the first place. Rapture's way of saying goodbye. It'd be the first nice thing this place ever did for him.
"This fucking place…"
"Are you talking to me?"
Jack starts, looking up to see El standing before him with a hand on her hip. Worry is evident on her misshapen face, along with…something else. He can't quite place what. When he doesn't respond right away, she snaps a finger in his face, sending a wisp of icy wind curling around her finger and into the air. The action entrances him for a brief moment. In doing so, he forgets to respond, and she repeats the action, irritated. "Jack. Are you in there?"
He looks up at her, intending to respond in his usual sharp manner, but something about her expression catches him off guard. He's not sure what it means, but it's unsettling. The seriousness of it looks strangely at home on her half-face, twisting and pinching the visible skin in a way that is incomprehensible to him. He's never seen that look on her before, not even back when they had first met. How far they've come since then. Back when she had been trying to kill the both of them and he had still been planning to murder her first chance they got. The remembrance of that long forgotten plan strikes him with a sudden spike of guilt, and he is forced to look away. El steps back, perhaps sensing the sudden tension between them, and doesn't push it. Instead, she walks away. Jack is thankful, but as he watches her leave, a new train of thought emerges. One he didn't realize he'd been ignoring until this moment, but now that he thinks about it, seems so obvious it's a miracle it didn't happen sooner.
The topic in question, of course, is El herself. When they'd first met–and God, thinking about it now, that was probably only a day or two ago. He hasn't been stuck down here for that long–at least, he's pretty sure. It feels like a lifetime ago. But when they'd first met, he'd been horrified at her Frankenstein appearance. He'd never before or since seen a splicer that looked like that. It's fascinating in a morbid way. The effects that the various Plasmids have had on her body are unlike anything he's ever seen before or since, and grotesque though the effect is, it all blends together into something that is her. He can't think of any other way to describe it. Her bizarre behavior and later confusing insistence on trusting him after first attempting to murder him had made the splicer even more off-putting and untrustworthy in his eyes. All of which is without mentioning her infrequent, homicidal fits of insanity. A wild card like that couldn't be trusted, and he really shouldn't have risked it with a child's life on the line. Never in a million years could he have imagined that she'd still be here with them, long after his initial plan fell through thanks to the unfortunate meddling of his conscience. She shouldn't have made it this far. Especially not with the bullshit they've had to put up with from her. Time and again, it would have been simpler and probably kinder to end her life, and he could have done it without her even knowing until it was too late. Yet time and again, he never took the chance. Sally had asked him why more than a few times, after a few too many second chances thrown the woman's way. He'd never really had an answer. Like most other things that would take him more than ten seconds to deal with, he filed the uncomfortable subject away somewhere inaccessible inside him and refused to even think about it. Until now.
Why is he thinking about this now? Ever since Cohen's, he's been trying not to think about all of the nasty feelings that have crept up on him ever since he met his…what are they to him, exactly? Could he consider them friends? Sure. He had known that at some point, before they reached the surface, he was going to have to confront the emotions he had been so desperately avoiding. Before they leave, because once they're safe, it'll all be over, and he'll never see them again. Jack hasn't forgotten his initial plan involving Sally–the girl is much safer with Tenenbaum than with him or the splicer, and given time he's sure she'll forget all about him and go on to live a hopefully fulfilling, normal life. One day, the memories of Rapture will be nothing more than a nightmare for her. As for El, he hopes to God that Tenenbaum really can fix her–provided she's even willing to help. He knows what Tenenbaum had been capable of at the height of her fame. He's almost positive that curing someone of the woman's condition will be a walk in the park for the geneticist. El and Sally's fates lie solely in the hands of the doctor, which leaves Jack as the odd man out. As usual.
It's very likely that Tenenbaum will want nothing to do with him after this, and that's more than fine. He wasn't expecting anything different. Once he knows that Sally and El will be taken care of, he'll be gone. Jack isn't completely sure what he'll do with no family, no friends, and no money. Something can be done, though, he's sure–he's a young man with a plethora of unusual skills and he's very adaptable. He knows he'll be fine, but it doesn't matter either way. El and Sally are all that matter.
Sally…well, he can only imagine what her reaction to the news is going to be. They hadn't had a real conversation about their future up on the surface yet, despite all the time they've spent together. Sure, he's answered a bunch of questions, and he's made many more promises, but an actual, honest conversation? Nope. That'll have to be rectified, he realizes, and just the thought sends his stomach turning. He doubts the girl has given any real thought to what life will be like on the surface immediately after their escape. He's not looking forward to telling her that he's already planned everything out, and there's no way she's going to like the outcome. Realistically, he knows he'll be making the right choice. Sally will be safe with Tenenbaum, and she'll be happy and healthy, and it'll only be a matter of time before she forgets about this, about him, completely. The thought of her forgetting him sends a wave of nausea through him, but he pushes it down. It's what's best for her. Stop being so selfish, for once. This is what she needs. He knows it, and he's sure Tenenbaum will agree. But that doesn't mean the Little Sister will see it that way. Oh, she'll kick and scream, she'll cry and beg, she'll try to guilt trip him, and it'll almost work. She'd gotten so damn attached to him so quickly, it's honestly scary. Part of him wants to rationalize her behavior, to tell himself that it's only because he saved her life and only because of her condition that she feels he's even worth her attention, but another, smaller part of him that he's so far refused to acknowledge hopes that isn't the case. It doesn't really matter either way, because there's no way she's going to agree to any of this, and knowing her, she's going to make their last moments together absolute hell just to spite him. He can hear her double-toned voice now, the accusations she would throw at him; you promised we'd stay together, you promised you wouldn't leave me, you promised we'd leave together, you promised, promised, promised. Jack had done a lot of that, hadn't he? Promises he'd made in the heat of many moments, and yet, he'd always meant them. He supposes that's why he's been putting it off for so long. The later he waits to tell her, the less time she'll have to prepare, and the less time he'll have to hear her griping about it (and the less time she'll have to change his mind about it). Because he would change his mind, he realizes, if she asked him to. He really does care about her, despite trying so damn hard not to. But he can't give her the life she deserves. And she does deserve a life, a real one, not whatever sorry existence Jack is going to be able to manage for himself up there, alone and miserable and waiting to die. Just like he deserves.
All of this is enough to send him into overdrive, but that's not even half of it. He still has to think about El. What will she do, once Tenenbaum fixes her up? What if she can't be saved? Surely Tenenbaum wouldn't send the woman back to Rapture. Would she be forced to stay with Tenenbaum for the rest of her days, never leaving the house, existing only in the shadows, never having the chance to live a normal life because of her condition? What if Tenenbaum did manage to repair the damage? What kind of life would El choose for herself? Jack has no interest in dictating her future—if Tenenbaum can get her working again, she'll be more than capable of doing that herself. But Jack still wonders. Will she want anything to do with them after Rapture? Will she stay in touch with Sally, or will she, like Jack, decide that the past should stay buried, and leave the girl to start a new life, far away from the two adults who helped to royally screw her up? Would she want to stay in touch with him? Jack isn't sure that El is as attached to him as Sally is, but clearly she holds both of them in some kind of high regard. She's trusted Jack with her life on multiple occasions, despite them trying to kill each other, and on that note, their relationship is definitely more complicated than he and Sally's. But the splicer still views them as friends, and God willing, that wouldn't change anytime soon. He doesn't know when it happened, but between then and now, he'd just become…used to her. A smile that used to horrify him is now just another of her many odd quirks, a way to quickly reassure him whenever something went sideways, and it actually works now. She had become a friend, or at least as close to one as someone like him could have. El can be trusted, and although he's still worried about certain aspects of her mental state, he has enough faith in her to not screw them over when it matters most. He still doesn't completely trust her alone with Sally, but that's to be expected given…well, everything. Despite her flaws, she's actually pretty alright, and after their unexpected heart-to-heart in Cohen's apartment, he realizes that he's been regarding her with the same reluctant fondness that until that point had been reserved solely for a certain Little Sister.
Speaking of.
Jack looks over at his two companions. They're huddled together in a corner of the small room they'd stopped in, talking softly about whatever it is that had caught both of their attentions. El seems to be explaining something to Sally, gesturing eagerly with her hands and captivating the young girl with whatever she is saying. When she's finished, Sally immediately asks another question, too quiet to hear, and El complies, smiling. Jack feels that fondness creep up on him again as he watches the two of them. This time, he doesn't bother trying to bury it. There's no point anymore. Was there ever?
Well…that's something to worry about later. Right now, he should really be more concerned with whatever the fuck they're whispering about over there. Obviously it's super bad if they're whispering, right? Innocent people don't whisper like that, so this is definitely something he should be worried about right now instead of the existential crisis he's on the verge of. Yes, clearly this takes precedence.
"And what's that one?" he hears Sally ask as he quietly approaches.
"Hmm…I am not sure. We should ask Jack."
"Jack!"
He does a very good job of pretending he hadn't been eavesdropping. He'd never hear the end of it from Sally if he was caught, not after all the shit he's always given her for doing the same. She's already insufferable enough at times. "What do you need?"
"What are those?"
He looks to where Sally is pointing, and is only a little shocked to see the gathering of several different types of flowers all bunched together in the tiny space. The ones she is pointing to are white flowers nestled in the very back of the nook, just out of her reach. "Those are flowers. You've seen flowers before, haven't you?"
"Not ones like those. What kind of flowers are they?"
"I'm not sure. It looks like water hemlock. Don't touch it."
"Why not?"
"If it is water hemlock, it's incredibly poisonous. It's the deadliest plant in North America. Not surprising that it's down here then. A good rule would be to assume everything in Rapture hates you and wants to kill you in the worst way possible, so I wouldn't touch it. Just to be safe."
"Oh, okay." She looks at the flowers again, frowning. "Are you sure? They look pretty."
"I'm sure."
"Hmm." Sally stares at the cluster with a thoughtful expression. "They might be poisonous to you. I'll be fine. I'm way stronger than you guys." She pauses, looking at Jack suddenly and noting the bewildered expression on his face. "...What does 'poisonous' mean?"
"Poisonous is very bad. You will become very sick," El tells her, pulling the girl's arm away from the "Or die. Do not touch the flowers."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"You're super sure?"
"Yes."
"Like a hundred percent?"
"Please," and he can't help the exasperation in his voice as he pinches the bridge of his nose. This isn't happening. None of this is real. He's going to pass out now and wake up in a mental asylum. That is the only acceptable explanation for any of this. "Sally." Both turn to look at him. "El. If you two are done here, we should get going. We've still got a lot of ground to cover."
"Your arm?" El asks, glancing at the torn fabric of his left sleeve.
"It's not perfect, but it'll have to do for now. I can't do much else other than stitch it up and hope it doesn't get infected. If it doesn't, it'll heal quick enough. One of the perks of ingesting massive doses of ADAM."
El doesn't look convinced, but she nods. She moves to get up, nudging Sally as she does. "Very well. Come, Little Bird. We have much to do."
"Will we see more flowers on the way?"
"Perhaps."
Jack goes back to the bench to collect his things, El staying behind to temper Sally's insatiable curiosity. He stops listening after her third question in fifteen seconds, and busies himself with making sure his weapons are loaded and working properly. Once he's finished, he heads over to the nearby Circus of Values and peruses the sparse menu for something to snack on.
"Jack, do you think we'll see anything cool while we walk?"
"This is Arcadia, Sally. It's a man made forest at the bottom of the ocean. You're going to see a ton of shit that probably doesn't and shouldn't exist anywhere else in the world. Do not touch any of it, do not even go near it. The last thing we need is for one of you to get eaten by a carnivorous plant or something."
"You can get eaten by plants?"
"Yes, you absolutely can. Especially down here. So–"
"How?"
"I–well, I don't know. But–"
"If you don't know then how do you know you can?"
"...What?"
"How do you know I could get eaten by a plant if you don't know how a plant could eat me?"
"Just because I don't know how it works doesn't mean it isn't a real danger."
"Uh-huh. If you say so."
Before he can come up with a sufficiently scathing retort, she's already lost interest and bounded back to El, who looks just thrilled to be the target of her endless barrage of questions. It's an expression he's seen on her face one too many times now, and he can't stop a chuckle from escaping as he watches the scene. El is usually surprisingly good with Sally most of the time (or at least at keeping her occupied), but she is absolutely awful when it comes to the girl's infinite inquisitiveness. The only exceptions are scenarios like the ones from a few minutes prior. El has a wealth of knowledge about a lot of things, apparently, and she is always eager to share with Sally, who probably doesn't understand most of the fancy words she uses but listens anyway with rapt fascination.
Unfortunately, most of the time Sally doesn't care about asking about flowers or the wildlife outside the windows. Most of the time, her questions are meant to simply annoy them, but other times, they are questions the adults simply don't have the answers for. Questions like what will happen when they reach the surface, what if the bathysphere isn't there, what if the surface isn't there, and other things nobody really wants to think about. It gets harder to stay motivated the longer they remain down here, and questions like those don't help anybody. It's best not to think about it is his go-to response, and that's usually enough for Sally to understand that she should leave it alone. El, for some reason, tries to explain what little answers she has to the girl, who just ends up even more confused and bothering Jack about it. Like he needs to be even more stressed about this whole thing.
He really doesn't want to think about what will happen if any of those hypothetical situations come true. If they really do get stuck down here. He's not sure what will happen then. Will they try to find another way to escape? Will they just give up in despair? Could they survive down here in the long term? How long would it be before one or all of them get killed, in that case? In every scenario that he can think of, every worst thing that could happen save for their deaths, he only knows one thing—that no matter what happens, they are not leaving anyone behind. They are all in this together, because they don't have a choice—because they need each other. Jack is uncomfortably aware that if he hadn't met Sally, and subsequently El, he probably would've gone insane a long time ago, or just given up. He's not sure he would be standing here now if not for them. Sure, spite is a large motivator of his, but anger and bitterness can only take a person so far before they become tired of fighting when there's no way to win. He might've quit a long time ago if he didn't have people to hold him accountable for the promises he made to them.
God, even thinking about that makes him depressed. They really do need to get out of here.
Jack punches the button for potato chips again, and jumps back in surprise when the machine spits out five bags instead of one. Guess the button wasn't stuck after all. He grabs three and heads back over to Sally and El, handing one to each of them and motioning for them to follow him.
They make their way to the Tea Garden without any more trouble. Jack is wary as they enter the space, holding out an arm to dissuade his companions as he does a quick scan of the area. Nothing in particular jumps out at him as something he needs to worry about. He moves forward, gripping his pistol and checking to make sure it's loaded and the safety is off.
Has it always been this…depressing? For some reason, he remembers this place being just a bit more lively. Not much better than the rest of Rapture, but the colors and scenery were a nice change of pace from the usual damp and darkness. When he'd first come through, he remembers being awestruck by the underwater forest, and stopping frequently in a while to admire the vegetation that had overtaken the place. He'd never seen such a thing before, and at the time, when circumstances were different, it had been the most spectacular thing he'd ever seen, the last vestige of beauty left in this fallen utopia. Now, he looks around and wonders if that bridge has always been broken, or if that pile of corpses in the creek is new. The scenery isn't so much a wonder now as it is a nuisance, with the vines he keeps tripping over and the poisonous flowers he has to be extra careful to avoid. Well, it's still marginally nicer than the rest of the city…but the residents certainly don't do much for its reputation. The Saturnine—that's what Dr. Langford had called them, right? He had hoped that in his absence from Arcadia, they would have killed each other off, but no dice. He wonders how many of them are still left, and if they'll be unlucky enough to run into more before they reach the metro. Probably.
Jack stops suddenly and looks ahead for Sally. At some point, she'd run off ahead, and he hadn't noticed. Damnit, he'd gotten lost in his head again. He really needs to stop that. Where the hell did they–oh.
Sally is just a few feet away, crouching down by a bench and pointing at something. El is on her knees, cradling something in her hands as she shows it to the girl. As he approaches, he's able to catch a few words, but not enough to piece together whatever it is they're talking about. They fall silent when he reaches them, both glancing up at him curiously.
"What are you two doing?"
"El was telling me about the dangerous flowers that are down here. Look at this one–" she grabs El's hand, lifting it up so that Jack can see. In her palm lies a wolfsbane flower, what few petals it still has crumpled and torn. It looks like it's been stepped on. Underneath the flower is a piece of torn clothing, carefully folded to cover her entire hand. "El says that if I touch it, I'll die instantly. It can make my muscles stop working and stop my breathing. Isn't that so cool?"
"Uh…sure. Why is El touching it?"
"I am not touching it," El protests, wrapping the flower in the cloth. "I am touching the cloth. There is a difference."
"Marginal difference."
"Still a difference."
"Stop it, both of you," Sally huffs, glaring up at him. "Did you want something?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. I'm glad you two are bonding, but if we don't get out of here soon, we're going to have some serious trouble. El, have you heard of the Saturnine?"
El frowns, tilting her head in that catlike way he's become so used to. Eventually, she shakes her head no. "The name is not familiar. Who are they?"
"Houdini splicers. They're some kind of cult here. They've got plasmids, mostly Incinerate from what I've seen, but they've also got some kind of teleportation plasmid. I had to deal with a ton of them the last time I came through here. Fortunately for us, it seems like they're something particular to Arcadia. Haven't seen them since. I think there's a pretty high chance we'll run into more of them if we stay any longer."
"You think we can avoid them if we move quickly?"
"Probably. I think I took out most of them last time, but there's definitely going to be more."
"They can't be that bad," Sally interjects, looking between them anxiously. "They sound like everyone else who's trying to kill us. What's so special about them?"
"Most people we've faced don't throw fireballs or the ability to disappear on a whim. Splicers don't typically have plasmids."
"But El has plasmids."
"Right, but El isn't trying to kill us. She's also only the third kind of splicer I've seen that does, and even then I've never seen one with that many. She's…well, different."
"She can also hear you," El interrupts, and snickers at Jack's embarrassed grimace. "You should also know that there is no teleportation plasmid. The plasmid the Saturnine use is probably Peeping Tom, which allows them to disappear for a time and move undetected. When they reappear, it seems like they have teleported. It is…annoying, but for them very useful." At Jack's puzzled silence, she shifts uncomfortably, picking at the threads on her shirt while changing the subject. "What do you mean, I am one of three? What other splicers have you seen?"
"Well…there are some Thuggish splicers that seem to like Electro Bolt. They don't use it, but they're immune to electrical attacks. Then there's the Houdini splicers, with the fireballs and teleportation. Then there's El, whose plasmids I've lost count of." He looks to her apologetically. "Sorry."
She waves him off. "It is not important."
"Well, I mean–"
"Hey, wait," Sally butts in, looking between the two. "Why don't most splicers have plasmids? El, you said the reason most splicers are crazy is because they got addicted to ADAM. But if they got addicted to plasmids, why don't they use them when we're fighting them?"
"That's–actually a good point. Huh. Why did I never think about that before?"
"Perhaps we can ask Tenenbaum." El drops the torn cloth on the ground beside her. She dusts off her hands, rising from the ground and kicking the discarded cloth underneath a nearby bench. "Jack is right. We should get out of here, and the sooner, the better. I do not like this place."
"Yes, please. Let's get going. I want to see the sun."
"Have some patience, Sally," Jack chides, walking towards the door out of the Tea Garden. "We'll get out of here soon enough. If we're lucky, we only have a few hours left and we'll be free. You can complain all you want once we get on the surface. But for now—well, you know. Try to be a little more positive."
"I am positive, Jack. I'm positive that this place sucks and I don't want to be here anymore. Let's go."
Jack doesn't have an immediate retort for that, and by the time he thinks of one, she's already gone off ahead, leaving him alone with El, who is looking at him with an infuriatingly smug expression.
"What?" he snaps, harsher than intended.
The splicer says nothing at first, only giving a one-shouldered shrug in response. "You do realize she gets that from you?"
"Oh, please. You're as much at fault as I am."
"No, not true. The little bird doesn't care for me as much as she does you."
"I seem to recall more than a few instances where she went running to you after I pissed her off," he scoffs, with no real bite behind it. "She seemed to like you just fine then."
"When it is convenient, yes," El bites back, rising from her cross-legged position on the ground. She discards the cloth on a nearby bench before walking over to join him. "But I suppose we have been…bonding, lately."
"Great. That's…that's good. Glad to hear it."
El raises an eyebrow, the simple gesture made terrifying by the deformities on her face. Funny—a couple of days, hell maybe even just a few hours ago, he would have recoiled at the sight, but now, he just glares at her. "Really?"
"Oh, yeah, sure. Hey, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner, what with you stalking and trying to murder us the first time we met."
He expects El to scoff at that, or roll her eyes, or snap something back that is sure to hit a nerve, as usual. But instead, she pauses, seemingly taken aback. Her eyes scan him up and down, and he's not sure he appreciates the wary look in her mismatched eyes. "Are you…alright, Jack?"
Now it's his turn to stare. "What?"
"You seem…" she pauses again, searching for the right word. "...strange. Since those splicers attacked us, you have not been yourself."
This was not the turn he was expecting this conversation to take. "I'm fine. What do you mean?" Before she can answer that, he changes the subject, making a show of looking ahead for Sally as he begins to move past her. "Hey, did you see where Sally went off to? We should probably catch up with her. Come on." He passes through the doors to exit the Tea Garden and doesn't wait for her to catch up, desperately hoping that that's enough of a hint for her.
Of course, as with all things El, she either doesn't pick up on the most basic of social cues or she just really likes fucking with him. "You have seemed troubled since we arrived in Arcadia. Is it the Saturnine?"
"Yes," he answers, a little too quickly. He winces, realizing how unconvincing he sounds to even his own ears. "It's just–you know, this place. Rapture. I'm ready to leave it all behind. It's nothing to worry about."
"I do not believe you."
"Of course you don't," he huffs, starting up the stairs. Sally had to be around here somewhere.
"Ace."
Jack stops at the mention of his old nickname, wincing as he turns back to face her. "Look–I appreciate the concern, but I'm honestly fine. Rapture's just getting to me. Once we get to the surface…" he stops himself, suddenly unsure. As he stares at her, willing his mind to come up with an end to that sentence, he realizes that's something he hadn't thought about. Sure, he'd spent what must have been ours agonizing over what would happen once they'd left the ocean, but he'd never actually considered the immediate aftermath of reaching the surface. All his worries so far had been focused on settling into surface life.
"What?" El asks, searching his eyes for an answer he didn't have.
What is he supposed to say here? He stops for a moment, wondering if he should begin this conversation, right now. Sally is still unaccounted for, they're in arguably the second most dangerous place in Rapture, and he doesn't appreciate El's caution around him. But, he notes with no small amount of resignation, it's not like she's taking his current excuses for an answer. If they found Sally, maybe that would be enough of a deterrent, and he'd be able to avoid it for a little longer. Hell, if he turned around and pretended it didn't happen, he could technically get away with it. She could keep asking, but he could just as easily ignore her.
Despite this being the more appealing solution, Jack finds himself sighing and running a hand through his hair. "It's…" Jack takes a steadying breath, willing himself to talk. Who knows, maybe the splicer would have some valuable insight. Doubtful, but both of his companions are always full of surprises. "It's this whole surface thing. I'm worried."
El says nothing. She waits patiently for him to continue, one hand on the railing of the staircase they'd stopped on. As he searches for how best to explain his inner turmoil, he watches with open fascination as her fingers curl around the wood, sending intricate tendrils of frost out that wrap around the railing and quickly inch their way up. The frost creates a delicate pattern as it moves, and Jack thinks it's strange that even in a place as awful and grotesque as this, something even a little beautiful could exist, even for a moment.
"I have no idea what the plan is once we get up there. I don't know what we're going to do. I haven't said anything to Sally, because she's asking all these questions I have no idea how to answer, and I don't want to discourage her, you know? I keep telling her the goal is to get out, and once we're there then we can figure out the rest, but–I don't know. I'm lost."
El nods, taking this information in. She is silent for a moment, perhaps contemplating her next words, before she gestures to a point behind Jack. "We should find Sally, before she gets herself into trouble. We can…walk and talk."
Jack steps to the side to allow El to move in front of him, and follows her lead up the rotten staircase, taking care to avoid the holes in the steps. "Do you know what you're going to do, once we're free of this place? Do you have any plans for your life?"
"It will be enough for me to be alive," she replies with little hesitation. Jack has no idea what that means, but he supposes if she thinks it's a good deal… "If Tenenbaum can help me, perhaps she can also guide me on what to do with myself. I will be content with simply making it out of here in one piece."
"That's…not nothing," he offers, reaching the top of the staircase. Avoiding what is sure to be an awkward follow-up on her end, he makes a show of scanning the room for Sally. Thankfully, the kid is waiting for them, messing with an assortment of plants on a table that don't look dangerous…
"It is something," the woman agrees, pulling his attention back to her. "What of you?"
"No clue," he starts, before faltering again. "Well, kind of. I mean, I have an idea of where I'm going after we get you and Sally settled in. I figure I'll just go off on my own, sell my skills to the highest bidder and all that. I'd like something quiet, simple. But that's not what I'm worried about. My main concern is about when we first get out. The bathysphere is going to take us up to the lighthouse, which is great, but that leaves us stranded at sea, which is not. How are we going to call for help? What happens when we reach the mainland? How are we supposed to figure out what to do or where to go? To say nothing of Tenenbaum, I mean, God. We can only hope that she's down here, because if she isn't, that adds a whole other layer to this mess." He hasn't allowed himself to truly consider that possibility. If Tenenbaum has already jumped ship, that means El and Sally have nowhere to go. Sally could still turn out okay–there are plenty of orphanages on the surface, after all, and though it would be less than ideal, it would be far better than a life with him. El, on the other hand…well, he wouldn't feel right just dumping her somewhere. Curse his conscience.
"We will find her, Jack," El tries to reassure, and Jack's stomach twists at her placating tone. "She is down here, and I am certain she will help us. We will get out of here together, and as long as we stick together on the surface, I know we will be fine."
Together. The earnestness in her voice almost sends him reeling. He can't shake the feeling of shame settling into the pit of his stomach as he turns away, suddenly feeling guilty. He spares a quick glance at Sally to make sure she's far enough away. He really doesn't want her to overhear the conversation they're about to have. He turns back to El, jerking his head in the direction of the side of the room opposite Sally, who hasn't noticed them yet. El follows him to the corner, and waits patiently as he tries to gather his thoughts into coherent sentences.
"El, I don't think it's a good idea for us to stay together on the surface." As soon as the words leave his mouth, he freezes. Why is he freezing? He has an idea of what he wants to say. His mouth is opening and closing, but no words are coming out. What the hell is wrong with him?
"Is it because of my condition?" El asks. Jack is surprised to hear no malice in her tone, just simple curiosity. "Tenenbaum should be able to help me. I will get better."
"No, it's not–not that," he sighs, running a hand over his face. He needs to hurry this up. This is so uncomfortable. There's a rising anxiety in his chest as he thinks about Sally, sneaking up behind them and overhearing this conversation. God, he cannot deal with that right now. "Alright, listen. I'm going to be honest here. I'm a terrible person, and there's nothing in my future but misery, even if I manage to make something for myself up there. You don't deserve that, and neither does Sally. Once Tenenbaum reserves your splicer thing, you can go and live a normal life, whatever kind of life you want–but it'll be your choice. I'm sure Tenenbaum will be happy to help you with whatever you need. She's already going to be taking care of Sally, so–"
"Sally?" El interrupts, surprised. "She is not going with you?"
"She can't," Jack explains softly. The realization had hurt before, but it paled in comparison to actually saying the words out loud. This is for the best. This is for her. "There's no way I'd ever be able to provide her with the kind of life she deserves. She's just a kid, El. She deserves the chance to live like one. Tenenbaum can reverse her condition, and I'm sure she can undo the conditioning, if that even still applies for her. Sally can live with Tenenbaum until the doctor decides what she wants to do with all those girls. I'm sure it'll be a much better fate than whatever I could do for her. It's what she needs."
El looks more somber than he's ever seen her, but she nods slowly, processing this information. "Does she know?"
"No. I haven't told her. I've been meaning to bring it up, but…"
She nods again, understanding, and stares at a point past Jack's shoulder. She's deep in thought, he can tell, and he takes the brief break in conversation to spare another glance at Sally. She still hasn't noticed them, and the anxiety in his chest calms a bit as he notes just how much distance is between them. There's no way she could overhear, right?
"Are you worried about how she'll react?"
"Of course I am. In case you haven't noticed, the kid is practically glued to my hip. She has some serious attachment issues, which I am going to make so much worse when I tell her I'm handing her off to Tenenbaum. She's going to think I'm abandoning her, which is going to be such a fun conversation to have. I can hear her little voice now. Can you imagine all the fun insults she'll come up with? Kids can be awfully creative."
El doesn't seem impressed with his obvious attempt at deflection. Still, she looks to where Sally sits, attempting to feed bits of rotted pumpkin to a Venus flytrap. Unsurprisingly, the plant doesn't bite. "She cares for you."
"Only because I'm probably the first real person she's met since she became a Little Sister. I saved her life once and all of a sudden we're supposed to be inseparable."
"She's not wrong," she points out, not unkindly. "You two clearly have some kind of bond. Perhaps you're right, and it is just trauma, but whatever it is, you two are in this together."
"We're in this together, El. Don't forget, you're a part of this too," he reminds her. Maybe they aren't as close as she thinks he and Sally are, but he can't deny the reluctant fondness that he has for the splicer turned ally.
El gives him a knowing smile, raising an eyebrow. Oh, he does not like that. "Not always. I remember a time long ago when you were still planning to kill me once we escaped."
The nonchalant way in which she delivers this line, coupled with the revelation that she knew, apparently this whole time, short circuits his brain for several moments before he's able to choke out a weak, "How did you—" Sally. She must have told her–he swears, that kid can't keep a secret to save her life–
"It wasn't difficult to piece together. After my mind began to heal a little after traveling with you two, I began to realize there was no way you would allow a splicer to leave Rapture, especially not me and not in the condition I was in. Of course, not that I blamed you. If Tenenbaum cannot fix me, I do not have a place up there. Killing me would have been a mercy."
Oh. "Huh." An awkward pause. Well, she doesn't seem upset at least? That has to be good, right? "Wait, so you were totally fine walking around with someone who you knew was planning to kill you once you stopped being useful?"
She shrugs, and her casualness would be infuriating if it wasn't so baffling. "I saw it more as an opportunity to prove myself. Perhaps if I kept being useful, you would keep needing me, and maybe then I would be able to convince you to change your mind. It worked, didn't it?"
"Well, yes, but more because I grew a conscience, not because you're useful. I mean, you are useful, but it's not why we keep you around. You've got lots of other qualities. And I made you both a promise–all three of us are getting to that bathysphere, and we are going to leave this place far behind. IWe'll get out, and we'll set up new lives on the surface, and soon enough we'll forget this place ever existed. I promised, and I intend to deliver."
"You do make a lot of promises," El muses, more amused than inspired. Not exactly what he was going for, but he'll take it. "But I believe you."
"Thanks." A pause. "For the record, I am not planning on murdering you anymore. I haven't for a long time."
"I figured."
"Right. Just wanted to make that clear. We're going to find Tenenbaum, either down here or up there, somehow, and she'll be able to reverse all this. You're going to be able to live a real life up there, one you deserve."
"And Sally?" At Jack's pained expression, she sighs, her breath coming out as a puff of icy air. He idly wonders just how much Old Man Winter she's ingested before this point. "You'll have to tell her, Jack. I know it will be difficult, and I know you're worried about what she'll say, but she will find out, sooner or later. She should hear it from you, before something happens."
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I know you are." Jack looks over at the Little Sister again, noting with concern that she has somehow gotten her hands on what looks like a container full of dead bugs and is slowly feeding its contents to the Venus flytrap. Are all little girls that weird, or is it a Rapture thing? Maybe it's just a Sally thing. "Not now, though. One heart-to-heart is enough for me for a while. I'll tell her before we get to the bathysphere."
"No, that won't do. If Tenenbaum is down here, and willing to talk, we will be meeting up with her sooner than that. Once we meet with her you will surely want to discuss Sally. I doubt there will be enough privacy to have that conversation without the little bird at least eavesdropping. If you are serious about your plans, the best time to have that discussion would be before we reach the metro on the other side of Arcadia. Otherwise…"
"Otherwise Sally's going to freak out while I'm trying to convince Tenenbaum to take you guys." Oh, and wouldn't that be a mess. Yeah, he sees her point. "Okay, so dealing with the fallout beforehand would be better. Who knows, maybe she'll be so pissed at me that she'll actually go willingly. Do you think?"
"It's possible," she conceded, although she didn't sound convinced.
Jack shrugs, turning back once again to check on Sally's position on the other side of the room. She's still feeding the Venus flytrap, the container half-empty by now, and she still doesn't seem to have noticed them. There's no way she had and had just decided to leave them to their adult conversation while she minded her own business. That would be the day. Well, good news for him, then–means his secret is safe for just a little longer. Sharing it with El had been daunting enough, but he feels lighter for it. Maybe having friends was a good thing.
"Sally?"
Sally whips around, almost knocking a plant off the table. "Oh, there you guys are! I thought you had died or something."
"And you weren't worried?"
"Well, obviously I was wrong, so it's fine." She feeds a final bug to the Venus flytrap, patting it on the head gently before placing the container back on the table before bouncing over to the duo. "Are we ready to keep moving? I've been here for like ten minutes. I'm so bored."
"Kid, you are going to be the death of me, you know that?"
Sally just grins, moving past him to lead the way into the next area. Jack and El share a look before following, Jack making sure to keep a closer eye on her this time around.
As he watches her carefully maneuver across the rickety wooden gangway, he thinks about what he's going to say to her when the time comes. How is he even supposed to approach this? When would be the best time? Is there even a "best time" for something like this? Maybe El has some pointers.
Whatever. It doesn't matter right now. Sure, time may be quickly running out, but they still have a ways to go, and he's sure that with their luck, they're going to run into their fair share of obstacles.
Yeah. He has time.